Do “the Birds of Heaven” in the Parable of the Mustard Seed Represent Gentiles?

Abstract:At least since the time of Hilary of Poitiers, the “the birds of heaven” in Matthew’s parable of the mustard seed (13:31–32) were identified with the gentiles. In recent years, however, this identification has rightly been questioned on a variety of grounds. In this article, I offer a reconsideration of the evidence and argue that, when the parable’s scriptural references are recognized as a “composite allusion,” it is extremely likely that “the birds of heaven” should be understood as a metaphor for gentiles in the Synoptic versions of the parable.